Wireless headphones that have something to surprise you: soundcore Space One review by Anker

The name Anker is primarily associated with various accessories for charging other devices. But this is not the only thing the manufacturer does. The company’s portfolio includes the soundcore sub-brand, which produces fairly affordable headphones and portable speakers. Not so long ago, the brand’s line of full-size models was strengthened by a new model – soundcore Space One, which, among other things, offers Hi-Res Audio, an advanced noise cancellation system, and good battery life. And most importantly, it has a more pleasant price tag. We will check how well all this is combined in such headphones in today’s review.

Specifications of soundcore Space One

Package contents

The contents of the Space One box are similar to those of more expensive offers from other manufacturers. Here, the user will additionally receive an AUX and a charging cable (USB-A-to-USB-C), as well as a soft waterproof case for transportation. The AUX and case are made in the color of the headphones themselves.

There are a couple of nuances. There is a difference from some flagship offers in this market in the case, which other manufacturers make hard. Also, such headphones are often equipped with adapters for connecting on an airplane, which is not the case here. But no criticism, because the price of the Space One soundcore is significantly lower, and these are not the primary requirements for headphones.

Design and usability

Over time, the requirements for headphones have evolved beyond a comfortable fit on the user’s head and a more or less pleasant appearance. Nowadays, headphones have to be resistant to various deformations, fold conveniently, not harm animals for the sake of design, and, most desirably, still somehow stand out from the competition (otherwise, how else will a modern, demanding customer see them?). And Space One’s soundcore has more or less coped with this.

To begin with, the test model came to us in a rather unusual Sky Blue color. They look bright and, at first glance, seem more expensive than they actually are. The other variants are called Latte Cream and Jet Black, where the latter will not contrast so much against the competition. Our version is probably not the most practical, because it will most likely get dirty over time. But the new headphones look really cool.

Image: soundcore

As usual, a limited budget will not offer premium materials. Therefore, the headphone body and mounts are made of plastic, and the headband and ear cushions are made of soft synthetic. However, the build quality is quite high, and all the pads are comfortable and do not have the typical unpleasant odor that can be found in inexpensive headphones.

The overall dimensions correspond to the model class and are 190.5×170.2×90.2 mm, weight – 265 grams. It was not difficult to choose the size for me, as well as to spend several hours in a row with the headphones with complete comfort. However, the fixation of the retractable arms could be tighter, but there were no problems with it. At the same time, the cups rotate and fold.

So, the manufacturer has made good progress both in terms of pleasant appearance and ease of use or transportation. Yes, the soundcore Space One is not a premium model, but it will be difficult to find a much better offer in the corresponding price category, even when it comes to famous brands.

Management

Most of the controls are implemented with classic buttons. On the left earbud, you can find the power and ANC mode buttons, and on the right earbud, Play/Pause and volume. 

But the individual buttons also have additional functions, such as long-pressing the volume keys can also switch tracks, and holding down the pause key can call the voice assistant. You can also add (or remove) bass by double-clicking the NC key.

However, there is another interesting thing about the controls. When you activate the Easy Chat function, you can mute the music with your palm over the left earpiece and at the same time activate the “transparency” mode to talk to someone without taking off the headphones. Additionally, in beta status, there is an option that allows you to do the same by simply starting a conversation. This option is not suitable for every situation, but if the user, for example, works in a separate office and colleagues visit him from time to time, this feature can be useful. And in practice, both versions of the Easy Chat feature work as intended by the manufacturer.

Connectivity and functionality

There are also ports for charging and AUX connection on the left earbud. However, soundcore Space One is primarily designed for wireless connection via Bluetooth 5.3. The headphones support Hi-Res Audio, and owners of Android smartphones will also be able to use LDAC support. USB-C can only be used to charge the battery and during this process the headphones will work exclusively via the Jack, but when connected via a wired connection, you can basically leave them off. There were no problems with the Bluetooth connection during testing. 

Of course, all available settings are available in the proprietary soundcore app. The first thing that greets the user on the main screen is the ANC system. It has three modes of operation: Noise Cancellation, Normal, and Transparency. There is also a separate widget for selecting modes. Here, the user can choose the noise cancellation level or leave it to the headphones. There is also a separate switch for the appropriate wind response.

The Normal option is quite suitable for a quiet home environment. But when you need to hear everything around you, there is Transparency Mode (which also works with the aforementioned Easy Chat function). The user can also choose the intensity of passing external sounds into the headphones and turn on the wind filter.

Next, you can find sound options. Headphones can personalize the sound depending on the wearer’s hearing characteristics – HearID. A small test can suggest some optimizations. For me personally, it didn’t show anything special. But each case is different, so maybe someone else will find it more useful.

For other cases, the app can offer 22 sound presets. Many of them are quite close to each other and are more designed for modern music. But if desired, the user is also left with the option of customizing the equalizer.

The headphones can also control the maximum volume level. There are recommendations for hearing load, which will help you determine your own limits.

Another useful feature of souncore Space One is automatic position detection. There is a sensor in the left earbud that can recognize that the user has taken them off, automatically stopping music playback. The function immediately needs to be calibrated through the app and then works perfectly. Of course, there is a slight delay in response, but it is also present in much more expensive models of market leaders.

The app also allows you to set up control, voice prompts for activated ANC modes and battery power, automatic shutdown time, active connections (yes, the headphones support simultaneous connection to multiple devices), firmware updates, and more. Overall, the app is simple and intuitive.

Sound

For starters, ANC. To my surprise, the noise cancellation system here works surprisingly well for headphones of this price. Thanks to the built-in microphones, it can easily drown out extraneous noise that won’t interfere with listening to music. For example, you can sit next to an open window in the rain and hardly hear what’s going on around you. The same goes for the MacBook Pro’s not-so-quiet keyboard. We also have no complaints about the transparency mode, which mixes ambient sounds into the headphones well.

The microphones also allow you to answer the call. As in the vast majority of such cases, this is not the best solution for long conversations or answering in noisy environments (on the street, for example). Therefore, “zoom calls” are best done with other headsets or an external microphone. However, answering a short call in a quiet home room is quite possible.

Now let’s move on to the most important thing – the music. And here I was in for another surprise: for the price, the Space One sound great. They may not provide as wide a stage as much more expensive models from Sennheiser or Sony, but those buyers who do not consider themselves audiophiles will definitely hear everything they need.

There is no problem with different genres either. You can listen to classical music, jazz, electronic music or rock with equal pleasure. The presets and the general character of these 40 mm speakers are still more oriented to modern EDM or Hip-Hop due to the still perceptible characteristic bias towards the low end, but this can be adjusted if desired.

There is enough detail in general. Again, with such a price, there is nothing to complain about at all. The stereo feels good both when playing music and watching movies. It is quite possible to play games with such a headset connected by a wire. The only thing is that in this case, the headphones will not apply the selected music settings and ANC will not work unless you turn on the headset. This will be clearly noticeable by a change in the overall sound.

In other words, by purchasing fairly inexpensive headphones with a good set of features, the user will also get excellent sound. During the week-long test drive, I was personally absolutely satisfied with their sound. In different conditions, the sound was quite sufficient, and the quality did not disappoint even though iPhone and Mac do not support LDAC. In their budget, these are really good headphones that are quite capable of competing with the corresponding models of even more expensive brands.

Battery life

The exact battery capacity of the headphones is not mentioned in the specifications, but the approximate operating time is indicated. So, with the noise canceling system on, you can expect 40 hours of operation, and with it off – 55. Measuring this time is relatively difficult, but, for example, after almost 10 hours of work with ANC and at a volume level close to the maximum, the headphones lost about 30% of their charge (there is no exact figure either, the display shows changes of 10%). So you can still more or less count on the declared time.

The gadget can be charged from a computer, laptop, or USB-C power supply, respectively. There is also support for fast charging, which should provide 4 hours of operation without ANC in 5 minutes. But, again, the power of the power supply is not specified.